01. Lifelore Revelation02. Once Fireveined03. We, The Torchbearers04. Goose River (Mourners' March)05. Bones In The Undertow06. Wanderer On The Continent Of Saplings07. Maritime Shores08. View Of A Million Trees09. Borea (Pyre Of A Thousand Pine)10. Elegy Across The Silence11. Song Of The Nihilist12. I Am The Viator

Thrawsunblat is the incredible new blackened folk metal band formed by Joel Violette in 2009 while he was playing with Woods Of Ypres. Now, Woods is no more, but Joel is still making excellent music, this time alongside Americans Rae Amitay on drums, and Brendan Hayter on bass. And the trio has come up with something quite exhilarating.

Thrawsunblat II: Wanderer On The Continent Of Saplings wastes no time in letting you know immediately what kind of album this is. The first few seconds of the opening track are a bouncy, folksy piano - but then the black metal comes crashing through. This moment, where melodic folk and black metal collide, sets the stage for the musical variety present on this disc. Some tunes are more folk inspired metal with rhythms and moods reminiscent of the best Viking metal bands (yet with their own atmosphere that sets them apart); other tunes focus more on the dark, blackened side of the music.

"Goose River (Mourners' March)" and "Maritime Shores" are the two ballads and they may be two of the most enjoyable ballads you'll ever find on a folk album. They don't depart from the style, yet they're devoid of cheese. A feat indeed! Driven by the acoustic guitar and carried by the rich, velvety voice of Joel Violette (switching with ease between clean and extreme vocals), one or both of these songs will be stuck in your head after listening.

As far as the non-ballads go, there is an exact amount of variety in tempo and mood, swaying this way and that on the black and folk metal spectrums. Variety, within a driving cohesiveness, is what will mesmerize most listeners.

So, what is the Continent Of Saplings? Turns out, it's North America. And that's damn poetic. We're here on this piece of Earth, an amalgam of cultures, some native and some imported (both voluntarily and forcibly), sometimes trying to regrow individual cultures from their respective saplings, and sometimes trying to grow a unified culture from our young collective roots. Like a strong tree growing from a fragile but dedicated sapling, we don't know which roots will grow the deepest, which branches will stretch the furthest, or which piece of the new trunk will rise to become the top. And that's perfectly shown in this music. Many different branches stretch from their strong trunk of blackened yet melodic metal. Which is the dominant style? That's anyone's guess.

Thrawsunblat are part of a new movement in folk metal. Along with bands like Wilderun they're carving out a place for North American folk metal. There are already so many amazing bands singing about Vikings and keeping the Norse sagas alive, so why not delve into the trove of North American folk tales that have yet to be told in metal? The "epic" of Viking metal is certainly present in this music, but the lyrics tread a new path and tell a new story.

I'll go ahead and say it: this album WILL be found on many a "Best Of 2013" list come year end. At the very least, it'll be on mine.

Thrawsunblat's members Rae and Brendan never played with WoY even though they were recruited straight before the very end of the band.
I don't really hear the resemblance to WoY all that much in this music, and I don't mean that as the reason why I do not like this album.... there are other reasons why I don't like this album.

Found this album on Bandcamp a few days after it came out and loved it. Really glad to see it getting attention with both the review and staff pick, I was hoping it wouldn't go overlooked. And good review by the way, it does the album justice.

As I said when I gave this review to you, from what I listened to of this album, it didn't strike me as anything overly incredible. It really comes across much more so as black metal with a few more epic, melodic moments than as an actual blackened folk album. Personally I wish Thrawsunblat had gone a little farther with some more traditional folk instruments and/or ambient sounds, but maybe that just wasn't what they were going for. Either way though, it is a pretty solid effort for a debut, and I totally agree with you that the North American folk scene is slowly but surely coming along (Marcel mentioned *The Flight Of Sleipnir, I'd highly recommend giving them a peek if you haven't already).

Either way though, it is a pretty solid effort for a debut, and I totally agree with you that the North American folk scene is slowly but surely coming along (Marcel mentioned *The Flight Of Sleipnir, I'd highly recommend giving them a peek if you haven't already).

I have heard them! Excellent stuff. I discovered them on a 3-way split they did in 2011 (or 2010?). Your review of their full-length definitely made me check that out, too!

But they're not really "North American Folk Metal" in the sense that Thrawsunblat and Wilderun and other bands are. Flight of Sleipnir might be FROM North America, as many folk metal bands are, but they don't sing about N. American folk tales and our history; they sing about Norse mythology.

After a few spins I'm really digging this, as a Canadian I can't help but love the Maritime vibe, it's pretty unique in the world of Metal. Time will tell, but the standout tracks here are certainly classic-worthy stuff, we'll see if the rest grows on me... But as far as Folk Metal goes, this is heartfelt, exciting and completely without cheese, a rare find indeed!

Finally a reviewer who has recognized this as part of an emerging Canadian/North American style. Insightful review, and I agree wholeheartedly. I used to listen a lot to Woods of Ypres, lamenting the fact that there was not much else like it out there. There is now. And this is a spectacular example. I think that this album will become a true classic in time.